Purslane Recipes: 45 Things To Do With Fresh Purslane

Have you ever cooked with purslane, or Portulaca oleracea as it is known to botanists? It is a succulent plant whose edible, delicious leaves are crunchy and slightly mucilaginous, with a tangy lemony and peppery flavor.

It is generally harvested from early June till the end of summer, and can either be foraged or purchased, usually from a farmers market or through a CSA share. The wild variety, which is actually considered a weed by many gardeners, is rampant and has pinkish stems (see picture above), while cultivated varieties tend to grow vertically and display greenish stems.

Purslane has been consumed since ancient times, and because it grows easily in hot and not too dry climates, it is represented in many cuisines of the world, from Greece to Mexico, and from Turkey to India by way of South Africa. (Here’s a handy list of its aliases in different languages.)

It is a bit of a nutritional powerhouse, offering remarkable amounts of minerals (most notably calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium), omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins (A, B, C), and antioxydants. It is thought to be an important component of the Cretan high-life-expectancy diet, and Michael Pollan has called it one of the two most nutritious plants on the planet in his In Defense of Food manifesto (the other is lamb’s quarters if you want to hunt for that too).

Although the stems are edible when still young (and can be pickled), cooks usually keep only the leaves and thin, spindly stems at the top, which are simply plucked from the central stem. The process is slow-going, but rewarding in the end. Because purslane grows so close to the earth, and especially if it is foraged*, it should be rinsed very well, in several baths of fresh water (I usually do three), with a bit of vinegar.

And once you have your bowlful of squeaky clean and vibrant little leaves, what do you do with them? Purslane is mostly eaten raw, but can also be cooked for a change of pace. I’ve gathered 45 purslane recipes for you — and hope you’ll add your own favorites in the comments section!

* Some people report that they find it growing from sidewalk cracks or in city parks, but I wouldn’t recommend foraging it from there.

Purslane in beverages

– Make green smoothies (purslane will make them creamier) with blueberries, kiwis, peaches, or tropical fruit (it’s okay to freeze purslane for use in smoothies) – Make a cucumber and purslane slushie – Make tea with the leaves; it is said to help ease headaches, bring down a fever, soothe sore throats, and combat inflammation.

Other purslane uses

– Pickled purslane – Purslane vinegar – Purslane pesto – Purslane tzatziki (use purslane instead of, or in addition to the cucumber) – Add to scrambled eggs and omelets – Make green pancakes (recipe from my book!) – Toss with pasta as in this pasta with tetragon – Sprinkle over pizza just before serving – Use as a garnish for gazpacho, chilled zucchini soup, or asparagus soup – Add to sandwiches for crunch; it would be great in a lobster roll or an ABLT. – Add to salsa and salsa verde – And if you ever tire of it, feed it to your chickens! Their eggs will be richer in omega-3 fatty acids.

Purslane is one of my favorite herbs! I didn’t know it has that many uses! Thanks for including my borek in your list! I’d like to add one more use if it’s ok. Purslane is great with strained(greek) yogurt too. We mix them together and add mashed garlic, it’s a very tasty mezze in Turkish cuisine!

thank you so much for this. I love salads with raw purslane, even though my mother turns her nose up at it, claiming its a weed and inedible! I’m looking forward to using this list as proof that she’s incorrect :)

Wow – I thought I was the only one getting excited by purslane – finally found some growing in a neighbor’s yard after getting blank stares at the garden store plus I had to convince my husband that is was a good thing to eat and now I’m seeing it written about everywhere. Hooray – it is so nutritious!!!

I used to think of this plant as an annoying weed in my garden, but then I found out I could eat them, so I picked some from my garden today and tried it and it actually tastes pretty good. I’m going to saute some tonight for dinner.

Didn’t realize that you could cook it, have been drinking it in herbal tea’s for years to keep it from taking over the garden. pare it with dandelion root and parsley or lemon balm and sometimes mint for a change in herbal tea and does help with keeping arthritis at bay.

I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t! And there’s a restaurant in Edinburgh named Purslane. ^^

nochipforme

Thanks for the great tips! I just began eating “weeds” a little over a year ago. What wonderful foods and medicines we have growing everywhere! It grieves me to see so ,many people spraying pesticides, herbicides and chemicals to attain a lush green lawn, yet they kill the things that are the most beneficial to their health…Why? It’s the way they have been programmed. It’s an “image” thing.

“My people perish for a lack of knowledge.” – God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth

Israeli couscous is just the name commonly used for a type of couscous that comes in big pearls, about 4mm across, not the fine grain semolina typically associated with Moroccan couscous. At a shop near me it’s labeled as Palestinian because they make it too! It’s also equivalent to fregola sarda, a tiny pasta shape from Sardinia.

Lynn Davis

This is the explanation I’ve heard (from Wikipedia): Ptitim was invented during the austerity period in Israel (from 1949 to 1959). Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, asked Eugen Proper, one of the founders of the Osem food company, to quickly devise a wheat-based substitute to rice. Consequently, it was nicknamed “Ben-Gurion’s rice” by the people. The company took up the challenge and developed ptitim, which is made of hard wheat flour and toasted in an oven. The product was instantly a success, after which ptitim made in the shape of small, dense balls (which the company termed “couscous”) was added to the original rice-shaped ptitim.

I used to pull this stuff up from the ground all the time when I was weeding as part of my duties for a museum I used to work at, never thought it was a edible herb maybe it thought if i grow at a museum I would be preserved.

I have always just thrown it out I had no idea that it was edible it grows in proximity to hemlock so I assumed both were probably toxic but it turns out that only one is I must be careful to separate them.

Having been involved in three restaurants and four hotels I am disappointed that I am only finding out about this now that I am retired. I am sure I could have done some great stuff while I was a working chef.

Ah well. The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is now! :)

Mary

Is there anything that looks like puslane that I might eat thinking it’s purslane that would make me sick?

Sharon Smith

Good question, I was thinking the same thing. I plan on looking for it tomorrow around my sidewalks and flower beds. I have something growing there that looks like wild Jade to me.

crystalinCT

Spurge. To the novice eye it has a similar look with lobed leaves along the stem and it tends to grow in a mat on the ground. Apparently extremely toxic. But once you’ve seen them side-by-side you will realize they are NOT similar and will not confuse them. The spurge is certainly not succulent and does not give that impression. It’s leaves are very small, thin, and far more regular than purslane, and the stems are very fine and far more leafy than purslane.

You are soo welcome. I noticed that you really do put forth the effort to reply to a lot of posts. That is very thoughtful of you. With all of your articles and recipes, I can imagine that takes a lot of time. Your site seems to be a popular one. It might be because you have such a pretty face and pleasant personality. It makes a world of a difference. That might be considered flirting a little, but I live in Indiana, so it’s safe;) lol Thank you for doing a great job with your site. The internet would be a much better place if half of the people were as courteous and cordial as you are. And with such delicious ideas that open up the imagination. MMmmmm….MMmmmm… Thanx

Thank you for noticing! I do strive to respond to every comment and every email I get, and I cherish the conversations that stem from it. Interacting with like-minded readers is the number one reason I do what I do!

Anthony Lopez

I stumbled across this page by accident. I Googled “rubbery type weed”, so that I could find out how get rid of these pesky weeds that have been growing in my backyard. I had no idea they were so nutritious, let alone even edible. And to think, I’ve thrown away so much of this stuff…..no more. I’ll start using it in salads and smoothies.

I’m sorry that I can’t help you much in the gardening department, but it doesn’t hurt to try!

Broward Nation

its funny i look for this herb all around cause the only place i found it growing was my front yard my mother confirm them french name and them eating it in the island whats better its growing ( which seems to be after rainy days) so now i can cultivate it and grow it in my garden god is truly good

I bet some of this is growing at my apartment complex! I am sure I saw dandelion growing there all summer and they just cut it down. I am going to look at the info on how to identify purslane, I do not want to poison myself! Lol

However, I bet if my neighbors or the manager see me getting this weed and using it, they will want to stop me from doing it. In fact, if I find it in a local park or on the side of the road, I bet the city will try and stop me.

A crazy country of people we can be sometimes!

Lilithrogers

Oh, wish I had some purslane around to try all these yummy sounding treats….

It’s 45 ideas of things to do with purslane and ways to use it. I hope you find some ideas that resonate with you!

Maria Morales

I always take this out when cleaning our lawn, not realizing that this is a very healthy vegetable. Now I just discover in You tube and your article about Purslane. Your information provided is really very helpful. Now I have no doubt and I will try your recipes. Thank you.

About Clotilde

Clotilde Dusoulier is a French food writer based in Paris. Her focus is on fresh, colorful, and seasonal foods, making room for both wholesome, nourishing dishes and sweet treats.

An enthusiastic explorer of flavors and observer of culinary trends, she leads private walking tours in Paris, contributes to international food and travel magazines, and writes cookbooks and guidebooks. She lives in Montmartre with her husband and their two little boys. Learn more »